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You are so right in saying that people had lost the trust of ordinary people by majority parties who were demanding answers rather then doing that during the election times

The forgotten people have decided to forget Australia’s political class, Treasurer Scott Morrison has warned, saying the major parties had lost the trust of ordinary people who were demanding answers and not petty point scoring.

Ahead of a key speech to the Liberal Party’s Federal conference today, Mr Morrison signalled the Federal Government would ditch ideology as it sought to reassure Australians it understood the economic squeeze they have faced since the global financial crisis.

In an exclusive interview with The Weekend West, Mr Morrison said economic circumstances had changed dramatically since 2008 but many of the political battles and ideas of recent years had taken place without recognising the changed economic reality for most people.

Wages were no longer growing quickly and people relied more on services to ease financial pressures. Mr Morrison said the parties and media had failed to adapt to the change.

“The public has turned the volume on Canberra down. The whole political class,” he said. “Today’s forgotten people have also decided to forget all of us, the political class. They’ve become disconnected from it.”

“I’m not saying they’re switching off from the Liberal Party, they’re not switching off to the government or the opposition or the media, it’s switching off to all of the above.”

Mr Morrison said because the world economy had changed so much since the GFC, the “economic stakes” were higher for policymakers.

He conceded the cuts in the 2014 Budget, in areas such as education and health, had not only cost the Government political support but may have fed into negative views about the economy. People who worried about whether they could afford to take their children to a doctor for instance, were likely to be anxious about their economic future.

“We paid a heavy price for the decisions that were made on services early on and that really undermined people’s level of assurance,” Mr Morrison said.

The Government has yet to see any improvement in polls since its Budget last month which included the $23.5 billion lift in education spending.

He said it would be a long grind to win over support, saying the political “ice was deep and thick”.

Leaders such as Donald Trump and British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson were connecting because they were speaking directly to people in a manner that showed they understood their concerns.

In the case of the US President, Mr Morrison said he was tapping the need for people to be optimistic. “That’s where I think Trump has just been remarkably successfully,” he said. “He hasn’t cut taxes yet or any number of other things but he has captured the optimistic imagination which is where he is trying to get the American people’s heads at,” he said.

Mr Morrison said voters were now member of many “teams” which meant there was no requirement for them to adhere to the Liberal Party’s view of the world.

That meant the party had to prove it was on the side of voters.

“It’s not about getting people to be on our side in politics, it’s about demonstrating to people that we’re on theirs,” he said.

Politicians have united to condemn Pauline Hanson’s views on autistic children in state schools

Pauline,

Here is a link to ‘The Disability Standards For Education’ that you obviously have not read and I think perhaps it would be useful for you to read!

“The Act seeks to eliminate, as far as possible, discrimination against people with disabilities. Under section 22 of the Act, it is unlawful for an educational authority to discriminate against a person on the ground of the person’s disability or a disability of any associates of that person. Section 31 of the Act enables the Attorney-General to formulate disability standards in relation to a range of areas, including the education of persons with a disability.”

Maribel Ward with her son Kieran.

When I read your comments today I could not believe my eyes. To say I am infuriated would be understatement. Not only are they incredibly insensitive and hurtful but completely ignorant and mistaken. Another example, yet again, of you attacking a minority group! It is disgraceful that you even have the forum to share your archaic and misinformed beliefs and thoughts!

As a parent of a child with autism in a mainstream school, who by the way is doing brilliantly thanks to his amazing teacher and other support networks, and as a primary school teacher, I feel well placed to respond to your comments and statements regarding the state of our education system and its so called ‘problems’.

Pauline Hanson’s comments about autistic children have drawn widespread criticism.Picture: The Geraldton Guardian

Today YOU have placed the blame on children with disabilities. They take up too much of the teacher’s time you say, so your solution? Take them out of mainstream school to put them in ‘special classrooms’! I am all for families having the option to choose schools that cater specifically to children with special needs but if a family believes a mainstream school is the best place for their child, then it is their right to do so. Who are you to say otherwise? How about we support the teacher within the classroom and provide them with extra training, time and in class support to be able to cater to all children’s needs. Do you not think that the issue here is not the fact that children with disabilities are included but that there isn’t enough support for them within the classroom itself! How much time is ‘too much’?

These ‘do gooders, who want everyone to feel good about themselves’ you speak of, are professionals who work incredibly hard. Do you know what happens when ‘children feel good about themselves’? Another area you could research! With the rise of children with anxiety issues and the increased suicide rates I find this comment confusing to say the least.

Pauline Hanson has also found herself in hot water with comments about Easter eggs.Picture: Pauline Hanson’s Please Explain

In fact, the teaching profession has never worked harder and it is not because of the children in our classes but the system we find ourselves in. The pressure to ‘improve results’ has led to more standardised testing, an overloaded curriculum, increased paperwork, stressed students and teachers, less time in the classroom to actually teach and enjoy learning and the list goes on. Approximately 25 per cent of teachers leave the profession within the first five years of graduating, what does this tell you?

You talk about the impact of having children with a disability in a mainstream classroom on the ‘other’ children. Have you read any of the studies on this topic? The benefits for all students are well documented and I would suggest that you do some research before you make ill-informed comments.

There is much to gain from inclusive mainstream settings for all parties involved, it just needs to be supported. I would strongly urge you Pauline, to make a public apology for your comments and ask you to research before voicing your opinions so publicly.

Challenging One Nation on Racism

March 30, 2017

Chinese Australian Forum President Kenrick Cheah has challenged Senator Pauline Hanson’s speech on Wednesday where she put the question to Parliament: “actually show me anything that I have said that has been racist”.

Mr Cheah responded by saying “Pauline’s definit…

Read More

[Press Release] Turnbull fails on 18C and Multiculturalism

March 30, 2017

On Friday 24th March, the Chinese Australian Forum, CASS, Neighbourhood Eastwood along with other community groups and the Hon Ernest Wong MLC held a press conference to express their disappointment with the Government’s decision to change section 18C of the racial dis…

You must explain as to why One Nation is not transparent or democratic.

“We don’t cheat, we don’t lie, we are upfront with the people.” Pauline Hanson

When Pauline Hanson and her One Nation party stormed back into politics as a major force, it was done on the promise they would be nothing like the “mainstream” political parties they and their supporters loathe.

“We bring a fearlessness. We don’t care what people think… we just speak the facts.” One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts

But on Monday night Four Corners will reveal the brutal backroom politics ripping into Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party.

“If the public knew what went on in the Party I don’t think they’d have anything to do with One Nation.” Former Candidate

Reporter Caro Meldrum-Hanna investigates the party’s inner workings and explores how former supporters have been left disenchanted, asking for Pauline Hanson to “please explain”.

“A political party is supposed to be inclusive and the party at the moment is not any of those things.” Former Party Worker

Rules on what Federal politicians can and cannot claim in travel costs will be made more explicit in a bid to prevent a repeat of expenses scandals like that engulfing sidelined Health Minister Sussan Ley.

The Federal Government yesterday promised to overhaul pollies’ perks in the first half of this year, with one minister admitting action was needed to rebuild taxpayers’ trust that money was spent wisely.

However it is unlikely the changes will stop MPs watching prestigious sporting events such as the AFL grand final at taxpayers’ expense, where sponsors often invite them to attend in their official capacity.

Questions over MPs’ expenses are spreading to other frontbenchers, with Julie Bishop forced to defend claiming $2700 to attend the Portsea Polo in Victoria last January.

Her office told the ABC she attended the event in her official capacity as deputy Liberal leader and Foreign Minister.

And Cabinet ministers George Brandis, Mitch Fifield and Peter Dutton charged taxpayers almost $7000 to attend Malcolm Turnbull’s New Year’s Eve function at Kirribilli House in 2015.

They argued the harbourside soiree was an official function, even though 19 fellow frontbenchers did not claim expenses.

Questions over MPs’ expenses are spreading to other frontbenchers, with revelations Cabinet ministers George Brandis, Mitch Fifield and Peter Dutton charged taxpayers almost $7000 to attend Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s New Year’s Eve function at Kirribilli House in 2015.

They argued the Sydney harbourside soiree was an official function, even though 19 frontbench colleagues did not claim expenses.

Ms Ley’s woes continued with allegations she and her partner had been house hunting during a trip to the Gold Coast nine months before her now ill-fated May 2015 purchase of a $795,000 apartment that has led to be stood down and investigated by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. She is not commenting on the latest claim.

An independent review of MPs’ entitlements was handed to the Government in March, with legislation now being drafted to consolidate myriad Acts and Remuneration Tribunal determinations outlining MPs’ pay and entitlements.

A key recommendation of the report, which was commissioned after the “choppergate” scandal involving former speaker Bronwyn Bishop, was that expenses could be claimed only when the dominant purpose was for a new definition of “parliamentary business”.

This definition would cover electorate duties; parliamentary duties, such as travelling for sittings or committee service; official duties such as attending functions, events and meetings when invited in their capacity as a MP or officeholder; and party political duties, such as attending conferences.

Attending political fundraisers or pursuing activities that provide a personal or commercial benefit would be specifically excluded from the definition of parliamentary business.

Acting Special Minister of State Kelly O’Dwyer said the Government accepted in principle all 36 recommendations of the review.

“A clear definition of what official business is, is obviously at the centre of the changes that need to be made and will be made by the Government in order to give the Australian people confidence that their hard-earned taxpayer dollars are respected and that they can have confidence … in the system,” she said.

Labor said it would work with the coalition on entitlements reformbut criticised the Government for taking too long to act.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie said rorters should face charges.

“It is no secret in Canberra that some MPs will, from time to time, perhaps often, travel wherever they want in the country and they will dress it up as an official trip,” he said.

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon and the Greens will try to re-introduce l